Brades

Brades (also Brades Estate) is a town and the de facto capital of Montserrat since 1998^[1] with an approximate population of 1,000.

Brades Brades Estate
Temporary capital
Temporary administration in Brades, 2019
Brades Location of Brades within Montserrat Show map of Montserrat Brades Brades (Caribbean) Show map of Caribbean
Coordinates: 16°47′34″N 62°12′38″W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Overseas territory	Montserrat
Population
• Total	1,000
Time zone	UTC−04:00 (Atlantic)

History

The still de jure capital of Montserrat at Plymouth in the south of the island was abandoned in 1997 after it was buried by the eruptions of the Soufrière Hills volcano which began erupting in 1995. Interim government buildings have since been built at Brades, becoming the new temporary capital in 1998. The move is intended to be temporary, but it has remained the island's de facto capital ever since.^[2] Several names have been suggested for the new official capital now being constructed in the Little Bay area. These include Port Diana, in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, ⁣^[3] and St Patrick's, ⁣^{[according to whom?]} to commemorate the 17 March Uprising and to attract Irish-American tourists.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

Map of Montserrat, with Brades highlighted and including the "Exclusion Zone".

Brades is located at the northwest end of Montserrat. It lies to the north of St Peter's and Bunkum Bay, in the vicinity of Carr's Bay and Little Bay. The main road of the island reaches its furthest north at Carr's Bay and then heads southeast, past the airport in the centre of the island.^[4] The village of Davy Hill lies off the main road in proximity to the northeast; The Collins River passes between the settlements and flows into Little Bay. To the northeast of Brades, in the centre, the island becomes hilly, reaching an elevation of 403 m at the peak of Silver Hill.^[5]

Economy

Brades contains several small shops, a bank, a branch of the Royal Bank of Canada on the Brades Main Road,^[6] government offices, a post office, a library, and a pharmacy.^[7] Runaway Travel, the largest and most comprehensive travel agency on Montserrat, is based in Brades.^[8] The firm Gas Grant Enterprises and Trading has its offices in Brades, as does Montserrat Airways and the Montserrat Tourist Board.^[9] The Attorney-General's Chambers are situated at 3 Farara Plaza in Brades.^[10]

Education

Schools in Brades include:

• Brades Nursery (government)^[11]
• Brades Primary School (government)^{[citation needed]}
  • The Methodist Church built the school in 1966. Further additions and renovation were done by the Montserrat government.^[12] In 2009 the school was overpopulated;^[13] it had 151 students that year.^[12]
• St. Augustine Catholic Primary School (private)^[14]

Secondary students attend Montserrat Secondary School in Salem and sixth formers attend Montserrat Community College in Salem.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

Montserrat 2011 Housing and Population Census

Ethnicity

Code	Village name	African/Black	Caucasian/White or Hispanic/Spanish	Mixed	All other categories	Total
21304	Brades Estate	367	4	17	21	409

Lived Abroad

Code	Village name	Yes	No	Total
21304	Brades Estate	249	160	409

Source:^[15]

Notable people

• Maizie Williams, singer, model and dancer.

References

1. Leonard, T. M. (2005). Encyclopedia of the Developing World. Routledge. pp.1083. ISBN 978-1-57958-388-0
2. Jonnard, M. Jonnard Claude M.; Jonnard, Claude M. (November 2009). Islands in the Wind: The Political Economy of the English East Caribbean. iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-4401-9426-9.
3. "Montserrat Asks to Re-name Capital after Diana". BBC. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
4. "Brades" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
5. Druitt, Timothy H.; Kokelaar, B. Peter (2002). The Eruption of Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, from 1995 to 1999. Geological Society of London. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-86239-098-0.
6. Nash, KC. (15 April 2011). Antigua, Barbuda & Montserrat Travel Adventures. Hunter Publishing, Inc. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-58843-705-1.
7. Lonely Planet Antigua, Barbuda & Montserrat: Chapter from Caribbean Islands Travel Guide. Lonely Planet. 1 January 2012. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-74321-081-9.
8. Frommer's (29 May 2012). AARP Caribbean. John Wiley & Sons. p. 90. ISBN 978-1-118-26665-6.
9. South America, Central America and the Caribbean 2002 (10 ed.). Psychology Press. 2001. p. 568. ISBN 978-1-85743-121-6.
10. Nicholls, Clive; Montgomery, Clare; Knowles, Julian B.; Anand Doobay; Mark Summers (14 March 2013). Nicholls, Montgomery, and Knowles on The Law of Extradition and Mutual Assistance. Oxford University Press. p. 784. ISBN 978-0-19-969281-1.
11. "Statistical Digest 2014." Ministry of Education Montserrat. p. 2-3 (PDF p. 7-8/27). Retrieved on 28 November 2017.
12. "Development Proposals for: Lookout Primary School Brades Primary School Montserrat Secondary School 2008 MNT 09." Department for International Development UK. p. 4 (PDF p. 7/73). Retrieved on 24 November 2017.
13. "Development proposals for: Lookout Primary School, Brades Primary School, Montserrat Secondary School, 2008 MNT 09."
14. Home page Archived 25 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine. St. Augustine Catholic Primary School. Retrieved on 24 November 2017. "ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL Palm Loop, Montserrat P.O. Box 192, Brades MSR 1110"
15. "SD/Montserrat | UNECLAC-CELADE::Redatam Webserver | Statistical Process and Dissemination Tool of Montserrat". redatam.org. Retrieved 31 December 2021.

External links

• Media related to Brades at Wikimedia Commons